Tool-holding box



(No Model.)

G.'H. BARTLETT.

TOOL HOLDING BOX.

.No. 400,288. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. BARTLETT, OF SHORT HILLS, NElV JERSEY.

TOOL-HOLDING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,288, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed January 31, 1889. Serial No. 298,195. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. BARTLETT, of Short Hills, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool-Holding Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved box or receptacle for auger-bits or similar tools of that kind having a series of separate compartments or cells for each of the several tools to be placed therein, and more especially to that class of such boxes or receptacles consisting of a wooden block in which the cells or compartments for the tools are formed, which block is constructed of two or more separate layers having grooves upon their adjacent faces and secured together by glue or otherwise to form a cellular receptacle.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a tool-box constructed in accordance with my invention with the cover removed or thrown back. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof, taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. 1, when the cover is in use to close the box.

As shown in the said drawings, A is the main part or body of the box, and B the cover thereof. The main-part or body consists of a block which is formed of three separate layers or slabs, A A A secured together by means of glue or otherwise. The slabs A A which form the front and rear surfaces of the block, have upon their inner faces recesses a a a a. The intermediate slab, A is provided upon its opposite sides with recesses a a a a. WVhen the slabs are secured together, the recesses a a form one set or row of cells or compartments, while the recesses a a form another set or row of cells. The bottoms of the several compartments or cells are closed by means of a series of plugs, O O, inserted in the recesses a a when the parts are placed together or afterward, and glued, nailed, or otherwise secured in place.

lVhen the tools to be placed in the box are all of the same length, the plugs O O will be made of the same length, so that the compartments will all be of equal depth. Commonly, however, the box will be constructed to receive a set of tools-such as auger-bitswherein some tools are shorter than others, and in such case the plugs O C will be made of different lengths, corresponding with the lengths of the tools to be placed in the several cells, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The cover B will be made in any suitable or convenient manner, and may be recessed or not, according to the use to which the box is to be put. The particular cover illustrated consists of slabs or layers secured together and provided with grooves or recesses forming a series of cells or compartments corresponding .with those in the block A. The ends of the openings in the top or cover may be closed by plugs in the manner illustrated or otherwise, as may be found convenient or desirable.

In constructing the box or tool-holder the several slabs or layers of which the body A and cover B are formed will preferably be constructed by first grooving longitudinally a long strip or board with grooves of the a a a, then cutting said boards or strips into lengths suitable to form both the body and cover of the box, then securing the slabs or layers together by glue or otherwise, the plugs for closing the ends of the compartments being inserted between the slabs or layers at the time they are placed together, and then severing the block thus formed at such point as to make two pieces of lengths suitable for the body and cover of the box.

As far as the features of construction above described are concerned, the cover may be connected with the body of the box in any manner found convenient or desirable. The particular connecting device herein shown, however, is like that illustrated in a prior application, Serial No. 289,490, filed October 29, 1888, and comprises rods D D, secured in the cover of the box, to which rods are pivoted other rods, D D, said several rods being proper size and shape to form the recesses a adapted to slide in recesses (Z (Z within. the body part of the box. In this construction the box is opened by lifting the cover until the rods l) .D are free from the body of the box, and then swinging the cover backward upon the pivots which connect the said rods in the manner fully described in said prior z'i ii flication.

The main feature of novelty in the present invention consists in the box-body consisting of two or more layers or slabs provided with grooves or recesses upon their inner faces extending the full length of the said slabs or layers, together with plugs inserted in the lower ends of said grooves or recesses to form the bottoms oi the cells or compartments of the box.

lhe invention embraces as aseparate and further feature of novelty the making of the said several plugs of different le1'1gths,whereby cells or compartments of varying depths may be easily and cheaply formed.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretotore to construct a box for lead-pencils e011- sisting of two hinged blocks connected by hinges and provided with opposite grooves on their meeting faces, and in which the ends of the grooves are closed by blocks secured in the ends of the grooves belonging to one of the hinged parts. Such prior construction,

however, does not afford a cellular box of the character herein. shown and claimed, which is, as far as I am aware, an entirely novel articlc.

I claim as my invention 1. As a novel article, a tool-holding box or receptacle consisting of a block formed of a plurality of slabs or layers provided with grooves upon their adjacent faces, said layers being secured together with the grooves therein opposite each other to form a series of compartments orcells, and aseries of plugs inserted in the said grooves at the lower end of said block to close the lower ends of the compartments or cells therein, snliistantially as described.

2. As a novel article, a tool-holding box or receptacle consisting ot a block formed of a plurality of slabs or layers provided with grooves upon their adjacent faces, said layers being secured together with the grooves therein opposite each other to form a series of compartments or cells, and a series of plugs inserted in said grooves at the lower end of said block to close the lower ends of the compartments or cells therein, said plugs being made of unequal lengths, snbstai'itially as de' scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my invention I aifix my signatn re i n presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE Isl. l-iARiLEiil.

Witnesses:

(J. CLARENCE PooLE, Geo. W. HIGGINS, Jr. 

